Pairings

For our first-ever recap episode , we revisit the conversations that lingered long after the microphones were switched off. From Love Island analogies to our very different reactions to the Barbie movie, we reflect on the cultural moments that divided us, surprised us, and challenged the way we think. We also highlighted some of our favourite books from the season including Reel , Yesteryear , Str...

South Korea is home to one of the world's lowest birth rates, the radical feminist 4B movement, and some of the best performing IVF clinics. This juxtaposition provides the perfect backdrop for Amile and Phoebe's next deep dive into Kim Eui-Kyung's brilliant translated novel, Hello Baby . Using the novel as a springboard, they discuss fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, the choice to pursue mothe...

In a world where selling "identity art" might guarantee an extra $10,000 in the bank or a greenlit film in Hollywood, Amile & Phoebe question what happens when blackness becomes commodified. They also examine contemporary debates around authorship, influence and recognition. Yes, Patrick Ta, we are looking at you. Using Brandon Taylor's Minor Black Figures as a springboard, they explore a worl...

At last! Amile and Phoebe discuss Lena Dunham's hotly anticipated memoir, Famesick . They remember the cultural phenomenon that was Girls , reflecting on why its messy protagonists felt so jarring in a world of bandage dresses, millennial ambition & carefully curated femininity. As the conversation unfolds, they revisit the backlash directed at Lena from the moment she entered public life. Tog...

Amile and Phoebe discover one of the most provocative protagonists they've encountered in Imani Thompson’s debut, Honey . After a seemingly ordinary bee sting becomes a life-or-death trolley problem, they unpack Ysra's relationship with revenge and the men who cross her . From childhood memories of learning about "bases" to the everyday realities of misogyny and misogynoir, they explore the limits...

Beginning with the biblical story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, Amile & Phoebe trace the ways in which women’s choices have long been shaped by patriarchal forces. Phoebe reflects on her experience of growing up culturally Catholic in Ireland. She shares personal insights from her time volunteering with the Repeal the Eighth campaign and the stories that shaped public understanding of abortion...

Turning to Kennedy Ryan’s Reel , Amile & Phoebe discuss romantasy & the male romantic leads who populate these worlds. Alongside the fantasy of emotionally intelligent billionaires and artistically gfted providers, they discuss the blackness of Reel & the importance of specificity and lived experience in storytelling. Through Neevah’s health battles and Dessi Blue's adventures, they de...

Set between Martha’s Vineyard and New York’s Upper East Side, Strangers by Belle Burden initially feels worlds away. But as Amile & Phoebe unpack its themes of marriage, compromise, and reinvention…familiar pressures emerge. Alongside the practical realities of divorce and prenups, they interrogate the public response to Belle’s story, and the tendency to dismiss certain experiences. They disc...

Amile and Phoebe continue their deep dive into Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear. Spoilers included this time! Using the novel as a springboard, they explore the tension between modern femininity and masculinity. Beginning with the backlash surrounding Emma Grede’s promo tour for Start With Yourself , they consider the pulls (pitfalls!) of girlboss messaging. As the conversation unfolds, they turn to...

For their first foray into fiction this season, Amile and Phoebe turn to Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear . Through the character of Natalie, a self-styled tradwife, they explore what it means to perform the role of the “perfect” woman, and why some versions of femininity are so addictive to consume online. As they unpack her story, they revisit themes from earlier episodes through a refreshed lens....

In the second of their Pixel Flesh deep dive, Amile and Phoebe turn to the idea of beauty maintenance . Comparing their TikTok algorithms, they discuss the shift towards more intensive, expensive and invasive forms of upkeep. They reflect on the ever-growing rejection of ageing and fatness, and the pressures that sustain these insecurities. Moving between viral advice, personal dilemmas, and cultu...

In the first of a two-part series inspired by Ellen Atlanta’s Pixel Flesh, Amile and Phoebe explore the evolving landscape of beauty in the digital age. From size zero to “slim-thick”, and video vixens to the Kardashian era, they trace how beauty standards have intensified online. Reflecting on their different experiences growing up and what they thought of the Olsen Twins. Most apparent is the te...

This episode explores grooming in childhood. Drawing on cultural touchpoints from My Dark Vanessa to Lolita and Cat Person , they examine the archetype of the “inappropriate adult” and the subtle ways in which boundaries are pushed. Alongside this, they consider the idea of the “imperfect victim”. Who do we protect? And who do we turn a blind eye to? With a focus on British and Western culture, th...

In the second part of their Chums deep dive, Amile and Phoebe turn to the figures and cultural touchpoints that continue to shape Britain’s class system. From Jacob Rees-Mogg to Princess Diana and The Crown , they reflect on how class remains deeply embedded in British life, and why access to its upper echelons is rarely as fluid as it first appears. Phoebe shares why Brexit was the worst referend...

In a special two-parter, Amile and Phoebe turn to Simon Kuper’s Chums to explore the networks shaping Britains political elite. They trace the shared paths of those in power, asking why our last 6 prime ministers were Oxford educated. From the college dorm rooms to Downing Street, they reflect on how belonging is signalled, and why entry to these spaces is rarely accidental. Along the way, they di...

it feels like the landscape of relationships have changed in recent years, especially for us millennials. it's a time of contradiction. the girls want independence, but a man that's richer than them. the boys are getting more conservative, yet seeking non monogamous relationships. perhaps everyone is being genuine, but it seems that even the most cis heteronormative amongst us are cherrypicking la...

The episode begins with a story of being spotted reading Gillian Anderson’s  Want  in public, opening into a conversation about the ways women construct intimacy when no one is watching. Between a Nigerian Christian and an Irish Catholic, the conversation around fantasy quickly unfolds. Amile & Phoebe explore confession, contradiction & cultural taboo. They also discuss the compl...

In this episode of Pairings , Amile and Phoebe explore the rise of the Manosphere and the appeal of the so-called red pill . They reflect on the promises offered by its figureheads, and the way that insecurity can harden into ideology, and at times extremism. From the pickup artists of the early noughties to the Looksmaxxers and Incels of present day, they trace the shifting language of online mas...

In this episode of Pairings , Amile and Phoebe explore the cultural scripts shaping modern motherhood and the word every new mother seems to be whispering: Matrescence . They reflect on the myths that romanticise motherhood, the physical and emotional realities often left unsaid, and the quiet pressures that continue to define what a “good” mother should be. Along the way, they consider judgment a...

In this episode of  Pairings , Amile and Phoebe talk through stories that could only come from this modern age: a married woman who falls in love with her chatbot, and an app that helps you pretend to be well read. Moving between intimacy, imagination, and society, they reflect on what technology is reshaping — and what it may quietly be replacing - across childhood and adulthood. This episod...

In their very  first  episode of  Pairings , Amile and Phoebe unpack the stories that shape modern womanhood. From picking up  The Second Shift  after a full day at work to the performance of beauty and emotional labour, they reflect on how cultural expectations and online life shape women’s inner worlds. This episode pairs well with: The Beauty Myth  by Naomi Wolf Yo...

Pairings is a conversation series about stories—on the page, on the screen, and in our heads. Moving between literature and pop culture, Amile & Phoebe explore how technology and online cultures are shaping everyday life. Matresence, Inceldom & Desire are just some of the topics they will get you thinking and laughing about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.